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“Let’s Talk About It”: The Moderating Role of Self-Disclosure on Complicated Grief over Time among Suicide Survivors

Author

Listed:
  • Yossi Levi-Belz

    (Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel
    The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel)

  • Lilac Lev-Ari

    (Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel
    The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel)

Abstract

Suicide often imparts highly stressful ramifications to those left behind. Previous research on suicide survivors (SUSs) has demonstrated their being at high risk for developing anxiety and depression, including pathological complicated grief (CG). Self-disclosure (S-D)––the tendency to share one’s personal feelings––has been found to be an important component of dealing with grief. In this study, we examined the effect of S-D on CG in an 18-month longitudinal design following one hundred fifty-six SUSs. We found that SUSs suffering from pathological CG at Time 1 (T1) were lower in S-D at T1 and T2 and higher in depression at T2. We also found that SUSs with lower S-D at T1 had higher CG at T2. Using a structural equation model, we found that S-D at T1 contributed significantly (and negatively) to CG at T1, above and beyond the natural fading of CG over time. Our findings emphasize that while CG is highly prevalent among SUSs, S-D has a beneficial effect which can serve as a protective factor against CG for this group. Implications regarding possible interventions with SUSs were discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yossi Levi-Belz & Lilac Lev-Ari, 2019. "“Let’s Talk About It”: The Moderating Role of Self-Disclosure on Complicated Grief over Time among Suicide Survivors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:19:p:3740-:d:273461
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    Cited by:

    1. Yossi Levi-Belz & Shai Birnbaum, 2022. "Depression and Suicide Ideation among Suicide-Loss Survivors: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Yossi Levi-Belz & Karolina Krysinska & Karl Andriessen, 2023. "What Do We Know about Suicide Bereavement, and What We Can Do to Help Suicide-Loss Survivors?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-5, April.
    3. Yossi Levi-Belz & Tamir Ben-Yaish, 2022. "Prolonged Grief Symptoms among Suicide-Loss Survivors: The Contribution of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-16, August.

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